Here's an account from the German interpreter who translated JFK's speech to his Berlin audience:

Quote:"Ich bin ein Berliner" does not mean "I am a jelly donut" as some later claimed, maintaining Kennedy should have omitted the word "ein." (A Berliner is a kind of pastry.)

Heinz Weber, the German Foreign Ministry interpreter who translated Kennedy's speech to the crowd, says the donut story was "nonsense." Omitting "ein" would have been wrong because that would have meant the president was born in Berlin, he said.

What Kennedy wanted to say was "I am one of you...I want to let you know that I will stand by your side," said Weber, 82. "All of that is in 'Ich bin ein Berliner,' but not in 'ich bin Berliner,' that's too weak," Weber said. "And I'm not aware of anyone making fun of him."